WEBVTT 0 00:00:04.890 --> 00:00:07.354 Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons podcast. 1 00:00:07.482 --> 00:00:11.150 This is where you can find audio from Sunday morning, messages and more. 2 00:00:11.300 --> 00:00:14.442 Make sure you're subscribed so that you don't miss future episodes. 3 00:00:14.506 --> 00:00:16.030 And thanks for listening. 4 00:00:20.210 --> 00:00:21.440 Well, good morning. 5 00:00:22.450 --> 00:00:30.742 If you got your Bible, and I hope you do, I want to invite you join me in Genesis, chapter 26 as you turn there. 6 00:00:30.876 --> 00:00:32.582 Easter coming up in a couple of weeks. 7 00:00:32.636 --> 00:00:33.526 Looking forward to that day. 8 00:00:33.548 --> 00:00:34.406 I hope you can join us. 9 00:00:34.428 --> 00:00:35.814 These cards are out there. 10 00:00:35.852 --> 00:00:39.366 We got an 08:00 service, a 1015 service. 11 00:00:39.548 --> 00:00:42.614 Both of those service are identical except for location. 12 00:00:42.662 --> 00:00:45.014 All right, 08:00 will be outdoors. 13 00:00:45.062 --> 00:00:49.466 1015 will be in here in the auditorium, and sandwich right in there. 14 00:00:49.488 --> 00:00:52.922 In between will be a breakfast that we can have together as a church family. 15 00:00:52.976 --> 00:00:54.622 And so here's the encouragement for you. 16 00:00:54.676 --> 00:01:00.126 If you come here at 08:00 for the outdoor service, be a wonderful time of worship together. 17 00:01:00.308 --> 00:01:02.414 Probably a little bit chillier, right? 18 00:01:02.452 --> 00:01:06.490 That's kind of been our tendency here recently in past Easters. 19 00:01:06.570 --> 00:01:10.546 Now that I've said that we'll break a record, it'd be like 95 degrees at 07:00 a.m. 20 00:01:10.568 --> 00:01:15.966 All right, but if you come for the 08:00 service, plan on staying a little late for the breakfast afterwards. 21 00:01:16.078 --> 00:01:23.798 And if you're going to be here for the 1015 service, plan on coming a little early, getting here so that we can join together as a church family. 22 00:01:23.884 --> 00:01:24.834 We're excited. 23 00:01:24.962 --> 00:01:29.114 It is a big, important day, and it is a wonderful day for us. 24 00:01:29.152 --> 00:01:31.050 To gather as a church family. 25 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:33.690 Well, we are in week. 26 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:38.934 I think we've now hit like 54 weeks so far that we've been in Genesis. 27 00:01:38.982 --> 00:01:39.690 All right? 28 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:42.638 And you guys are encouraged me, and we're plugging right along. 29 00:01:42.724 --> 00:01:54.170 But within Genesis, we're in week three now of moving into this kind of subtopic or series that we're talking about, about building family culture. 30 00:01:54.250 --> 00:01:58.226 And this has been an important thing for me in our home and in our family. 31 00:01:58.328 --> 00:02:02.990 For Aaron and I, it's been a very important thing here as a church staff. 32 00:02:03.070 --> 00:02:13.974 I had somebody recently asked me just about our church staff, and I was bragging on our church staff, just the privilege and the honor that it is for me to serve alongside with them. 33 00:02:14.092 --> 00:02:23.366 And the person that was asking me said, well, what makes it for you so sweet to work alongside those individuals in ministry? 34 00:02:23.478 --> 00:02:27.462 And I said, honestly, it's that we're bought into the same culture. 35 00:02:27.606 --> 00:02:30.906 We understand where we want to go, we understand how we want to get there. 36 00:02:30.928 --> 00:02:35.854 And we had to adjust some things to see what God had for us over the last several years. 37 00:02:35.892 --> 00:02:46.766 But now that we're there, the culture that we're pushing for, for the name of the gospel and for the kingdom of God is unified among us, and it feels like we're heading in the right direction. 38 00:02:46.878 --> 00:03:00.310 And so, as we read over these chapters in Genesis, we're focusing on the family because we see this, whether for better or for worse, for good or bad, in the life of Abraham, and we see some repetition in Isaac, in his family. 39 00:03:00.380 --> 00:03:01.862 So that draws that for me. 40 00:03:01.916 --> 00:03:09.718 And I know so many of you wrestle with building a healthy family culture within the context of your home. 41 00:03:09.884 --> 00:03:32.430 And I say that whether it's you as an individual, whether it's you as a couple, you as a family unit, whatever that looks like, building that, but building a healthy culture, we can take all of these things as well, and we can plant them not only where we live, but where we work, where we play, what the cultures that we're building around us and what we're called to do and who we're called to be. 42 00:03:32.500 --> 00:03:46.146 And so what I'm hoping you're getting encouraged with as we're walking along through this is we're extending ourselves some grace so that as we take on these practices, as we see these things, these truths come from scripture. 43 00:03:46.258 --> 00:03:54.422 What we can begin to do is build disciplines that become practices in our everyday life. 44 00:03:54.476 --> 00:04:04.746 They become those things that I have to do, and I have to remind myself to do them so that eventually they just become naturally who I am and what we're about. 45 00:04:04.928 --> 00:04:29.970 Because I would say this to you like you are building, you are establishing, you are practicing a culture, whether you're doing that intentionally or not, right now, in your home, at your work, amongst your friends, with what you do, you are pouring into that environment a culture. 46 00:04:30.710 --> 00:04:36.020 The question is, are you being intentional about the culture that you're pouring into? 47 00:04:36.410 --> 00:04:42.866 And then with that, are you pouring into a godly culture, or are you pouring into an ungodly culture? 48 00:04:42.898 --> 00:04:46.070 I would argue with you there's not a midground. 49 00:04:46.730 --> 00:04:48.600 There's not this in between. 50 00:04:49.290 --> 00:05:03.246 We're either pouring into and building into a culture that seeks to glorify, exalt, and live for the name of Jesus, or we're pouring into a culture that wants to pull back from that and run from that and build our own. 51 00:05:03.268 --> 00:05:11.520 Kingdom, establish our own name, or build the name of anyone or anything else other than Christ. 52 00:05:11.970 --> 00:05:18.514 And so next week, we're actually start our Easter series, but this week, we want to kind of continue on and see. 53 00:05:18.552 --> 00:05:22.638 So let's look at Genesis 26, verses twelve through 14. 54 00:05:22.814 --> 00:05:24.146 And we're going to finish up, I. 55 00:05:24.168 --> 00:05:26.920 Believe, all of 26 by the time we get done. 56 00:05:27.610 --> 00:05:28.920 It says this. 57 00:05:29.690 --> 00:05:36.150 And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. 58 00:05:36.570 --> 00:05:47.130 The Lord blessed him and the man became rich and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. 59 00:05:48.030 --> 00:05:56.254 He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants so that the Philistines envied him. 60 00:05:56.452 --> 00:05:59.678 You're like, I can get alongside those verses, right? 61 00:05:59.764 --> 00:06:02.994 Like, Bo, you're about to tell us, be a family of great wealth, right? 62 00:06:03.112 --> 00:06:04.142 We're not that church. 63 00:06:04.206 --> 00:06:04.900 All right? 64 00:06:06.310 --> 00:06:08.500 Be a family of hard work. 65 00:06:10.070 --> 00:06:12.018 Not what we were hoping for, right? 66 00:06:12.184 --> 00:06:14.500 Be a family of hard work. 67 00:06:14.870 --> 00:06:16.630 Abraham was wealthy. 68 00:06:17.130 --> 00:06:18.550 Abraham had power. 69 00:06:18.620 --> 00:06:19.522 He had wealth. 70 00:06:19.586 --> 00:06:21.110 He had influence. 71 00:06:21.530 --> 00:06:24.978 Abraham was a man of importance. 72 00:06:25.154 --> 00:06:33.686 We saw when we looked at the life of Abraham he was known of and sought out, even though he was not a king, he was not a ruler, but he was a man of influence. 73 00:06:33.718 --> 00:06:34.602 He was a man of means. 74 00:06:34.656 --> 00:06:35.850 He was a man of power. 75 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:37.740 He was a man of money. 76 00:06:38.670 --> 00:06:50.366 And Isaac would have received enough money in his inheritance to where he would not have had to worry about money or about work. 77 00:06:50.468 --> 00:07:01.010 We're talking generational upon generational money that would have been handed over to him in his inheritance. 78 00:07:01.670 --> 00:07:10.694 That to think that I've got to go to work, to think that I've got to worry about finances would have not have been the reality of Isaac's life. 79 00:07:10.732 --> 00:07:16.760 And you're like, well, I wish that would not be the reality of my life, but it was the reality of his. 80 00:07:18.830 --> 00:07:25.194 And he could have simply taken what was given to him and lived off. 81 00:07:25.232 --> 00:07:34.720 Of it, built his own kingdom, made his own name, sit back and just let the day go by. 82 00:07:35.650 --> 00:07:37.600 But what do we find here? 83 00:07:37.970 --> 00:07:39.390 We find a pattern. 84 00:07:40.290 --> 00:07:44.210 It says, first that Isaac sowed. 85 00:07:45.190 --> 00:07:47.060 So he worked the land. 86 00:07:47.590 --> 00:07:50.690 No tractors, no equipment. 87 00:07:53.750 --> 00:07:55.220 He worked the land. 88 00:07:56.090 --> 00:07:59.670 He then reaped from what he sowed. 89 00:08:00.170 --> 00:08:00.582 Right? 90 00:08:00.636 --> 00:08:13.660 Which means if you garden, he watered, he weeded, he managed, he trimmed, he pruned, he did all that he needed to do. 91 00:08:15.550 --> 00:08:18.090 He reaped one hundredfold. 92 00:08:19.150 --> 00:08:21.258 So he didn't say, I've arrived. 93 00:08:21.354 --> 00:08:23.150 It says that he became rich. 94 00:08:24.210 --> 00:08:25.600 So what did he do? 95 00:08:26.210 --> 00:08:29.040 He gained more and more. 96 00:08:29.490 --> 00:08:34.878 So he got flocks, more servants, more herds. 97 00:08:34.894 --> 00:08:37.700 He expanded, he worked hard. 98 00:08:38.070 --> 00:08:39.380 He worked hard. 99 00:08:40.390 --> 00:08:42.146 He didn't say, it's enough of what. 100 00:08:42.168 --> 00:08:43.650 I have at any point in time. 101 00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:48.580 Instead, he kept doing and kept doing and kept doing the work that God had for him. 102 00:08:48.890 --> 00:08:57.174 And my encouragement to us today as we build cultures within our family, and we're going to talk about different areas in which we need to work hard. 103 00:08:57.212 --> 00:09:02.300 In which God's called us to work hard is be a family of hard work, right? 104 00:09:02.670 --> 00:09:04.970 Not as punishment, but as reward. 105 00:09:05.710 --> 00:09:17.646 In Genesis 128, all the way back about this time last year when we got started and God blessed them, and God said to them, now, this is pre fall. 106 00:09:17.748 --> 00:09:20.126 This is before sin has entered the world. 107 00:09:20.228 --> 00:09:23.902 Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. 108 00:09:24.036 --> 00:09:33.118 Work and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth. 109 00:09:33.214 --> 00:09:38.614 God says to Adam in perfection, here's my plan for you, man. 110 00:09:38.732 --> 00:09:40.454 Go and work. 111 00:09:40.652 --> 00:09:41.894 Be a man. 112 00:09:42.012 --> 00:09:49.500 In God's perfect culture, the culture that is embraced within this is a culture of hard work. 113 00:09:50.670 --> 00:10:22.894 Paul says in Colossians 323, whatever you do, blue collar, white collar, whatever you do, employed, retired, unemployed, whatever you do, the job that you pay for, the job that you get paid for, the job that you volunteer for, whatever you do in school, out of school, work heartily, work hard as for the Lord. 114 00:10:22.942 --> 00:10:31.622 And not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance of your reward, you are serving the Lord Christ. 115 00:10:31.756 --> 00:10:32.760 Work hard. 116 00:10:33.530 --> 00:10:34.582 Work hard. 117 00:10:34.716 --> 00:10:35.800 Work hard. 118 00:10:36.170 --> 00:10:38.470 Paul says he gives us two expectations. 119 00:10:39.230 --> 00:10:42.170 We work hard and we work for the Lord. 120 00:10:42.590 --> 00:10:43.962 That teacher's not fair. 121 00:10:44.016 --> 00:10:45.370 You're working for the Lord. 122 00:10:46.350 --> 00:10:48.666 They don't respect me at the job. 123 00:10:48.768 --> 00:10:50.170 You're working for the Lord. 124 00:10:50.510 --> 00:10:52.078 I don't like my job. 125 00:10:52.164 --> 00:10:53.706 You're working for the Lord. 126 00:10:53.898 --> 00:10:55.118 I don't make enough. 127 00:10:55.204 --> 00:11:02.374 You're working for the Lord in every single thing that you do, you're working for the Lord. 128 00:11:02.522 --> 00:11:10.594 And we're going to see the importance of this here in a little bit when it establishes who we are. 129 00:11:10.792 --> 00:11:20.760 God's expectation always has been, and God's blessing has been found in the work that he gives us. 130 00:11:21.530 --> 00:11:22.280 Right? 131 00:11:22.730 --> 00:11:48.878 What does your work look like if you see your work not as what you have to do, but as a blessing from the Lord, whether it's keeping your grandkids, whether it's working in the garden, whether it's working at your job, all the list of things that you have that you say, this is the day. 132 00:11:49.044 --> 00:11:53.246 This is what God has for me to do today. 133 00:11:53.428 --> 00:11:58.740 May I do it in such a way that brings glory and honor to his name. 134 00:11:59.990 --> 00:12:07.430 I feel like if that's our mindset, do you know what doesn't creep into that mindset is lazy. 135 00:12:08.650 --> 00:12:11.910 What doesn't creep into that mindset is toxic. 136 00:12:12.490 --> 00:12:18.130 What doesn't creep into that mindset is pushing off for someone else to do instead. 137 00:12:18.220 --> 00:12:19.930 We're people of hard work. 138 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:26.858 So what areas of our life, number one, we need to work hard physically, right? 139 00:12:27.024 --> 00:12:28.758 We need to work hard physically. 140 00:12:28.934 --> 00:12:30.282 We need to prepare the body. 141 00:12:30.336 --> 00:12:32.778 This is what God has for us. 142 00:12:32.864 --> 00:12:34.014 We need to care for it. 143 00:12:34.052 --> 00:12:34.702 We need to work. 144 00:12:34.756 --> 00:12:40.670 Whether you're blue collar or you're white collar, we're not just talking about the jobs that God has given us. 145 00:12:40.740 --> 00:12:45.406 We're talking about how we do with what God has given us within our body. 146 00:12:45.508 --> 00:12:48.730 We need to be people who are willing to get our hands dirty. 147 00:12:48.810 --> 00:12:51.722 We need to be people who are willing to get a little bit of sweat on the brow. 148 00:12:51.786 --> 00:12:56.230 We need to be people who said, when it's time to step in, I'm the one willing to jump in. 149 00:12:56.300 --> 00:12:57.222 We need to be the people. 150 00:12:57.276 --> 00:13:13.242 When somebody calls and says, no one else would do this, no one else would help me, no one else would partner alongside with me, are you willing to do the hard work that needs to be done, that we need to be the people, physically speaking, that says, yes, I'm here, yes, I'm willing, yes, I will do this. 151 00:13:13.296 --> 00:13:15.660 Because this is what God has for me. 152 00:13:16.910 --> 00:13:20.060 And for some of us, that's easy. 153 00:13:20.670 --> 00:13:22.380 For some of us, that's hard. 154 00:13:23.070 --> 00:13:24.046 Here's what I would say. 155 00:13:24.068 --> 00:13:32.158 As we continue to build the culture, we continue on in building the culture of being willing to embrace the physical and the things that are hard. 156 00:13:32.244 --> 00:13:33.940 Now, let's pause here for a second. 157 00:13:35.030 --> 00:13:39.250 Some of us think we've got 1234 more areas. 158 00:13:40.310 --> 00:13:41.954 Some of us think on this one. 159 00:13:41.992 --> 00:13:48.534 And on the other ones, well, you know, I work hard with this so that I can ignore the rest. 160 00:13:48.732 --> 00:13:54.662 And the challenge for us today is going to be not people who just. 161 00:13:54.716 --> 00:13:55.654 Do the hard work. 162 00:13:55.692 --> 00:14:01.820 That's easy for us, but do the work, the hard work that God has for us. 163 00:14:02.270 --> 00:14:07.770 All right, number two, work hard mentally. 164 00:14:09.070 --> 00:14:10.650 Work hard mentally. 165 00:14:11.170 --> 00:14:12.560 Challenge the mind. 166 00:14:13.330 --> 00:14:14.800 Challenge the mind. 167 00:14:15.330 --> 00:14:33.300 Wake up every single day ready to what I can learn, ready to what I can understand, ready to how I can grow, read, challenge, listen, seek out, become and embrace the mind. 168 00:14:33.750 --> 00:14:35.960 I heard a professor talk about this. 169 00:14:37.130 --> 00:14:42.514 He said, one of the greatest travesties in Christian. 170 00:14:42.642 --> 00:14:47.358 So four, 5600 years ago, the leading. 171 00:14:47.474 --> 00:14:52.410 Minds in the intellectual world were mainly Christians. 172 00:14:52.750 --> 00:14:55.462 Do you know that the leading minds. 173 00:14:55.526 --> 00:15:08.750 Most of your universities, your oldest universities, were established not by pagans, but by Christians. 174 00:15:09.970 --> 00:15:12.238 And they said, the mind needs to grow. 175 00:15:12.324 --> 00:15:14.690 The mind needs to be developed. 176 00:15:15.270 --> 00:15:26.770 And then we got lazy and about 50 to 80 years ago, science and education started pushing against Christianity. 177 00:15:27.270 --> 00:15:29.320 And you know what Christians did? 178 00:15:29.930 --> 00:15:31.880 They walked away from it. 179 00:15:32.970 --> 00:15:34.774 Well, they're just smarter than I am. 180 00:15:34.812 --> 00:15:35.894 And I guess they know more. 181 00:15:35.932 --> 00:15:37.750 And science is just from the devil. 182 00:15:38.510 --> 00:15:39.260 No. 183 00:15:40.190 --> 00:15:42.170 Do you know who created science? 184 00:15:43.150 --> 00:15:43.900 God. 185 00:15:44.910 --> 00:15:45.660 God. 186 00:15:46.590 --> 00:15:53.310 So, instead of pushing into and challenging ourself intellectually, we got lazy. 187 00:15:54.450 --> 00:16:02.560 And now we're shocked when every major field is dominated with a worldview that's not that of Christ. 188 00:16:03.190 --> 00:16:17.426 So the greatest thing that we can do is push into those worlds, understand, learn, expand our mind so that we can go out into this world and proclaim a worldview. 189 00:16:17.538 --> 00:16:32.010 In science, in mathematics, in arts, in engineering, in the medical fields, in every single way that speaks to that God is our creator and that we're here to live for his name and his name alone. 190 00:16:32.510 --> 00:16:37.078 So, do we need more missionaries and more pastors? 191 00:16:37.254 --> 00:16:38.074 Absolutely. 192 00:16:38.272 --> 00:16:40.380 You'll never hear me say any different. 193 00:16:41.330 --> 00:16:55.860 But just as important, if not more, we need more christian scientists, doctors, teachers, students. 194 00:16:56.230 --> 00:17:14.870 Get your PhD and go hang out at the University of South Carolina, Clemson, Citadel College of Charleston, every single one of them, and teach for the glory of God and expand and influence the minds of generations. 195 00:17:16.650 --> 00:17:17.714 We got to sharpen. 196 00:17:17.762 --> 00:17:19.934 We got to work hard mentally. 197 00:17:20.002 --> 00:17:24.730 All right, the third thing, we got to work hard financially. 198 00:17:25.230 --> 00:17:26.970 We got to work hard financially. 199 00:17:27.550 --> 00:17:29.514 So many times, people say, man, I'm working hard. 200 00:17:29.552 --> 00:17:30.154 I got to make money. 201 00:17:30.192 --> 00:17:31.420 Do you know what they're saying? 202 00:17:32.030 --> 00:17:33.534 I got to work hard and make. 203 00:17:33.572 --> 00:17:35.040 Money so that I can spend money. 204 00:17:35.890 --> 00:17:37.518 That's what most people think. 205 00:17:37.684 --> 00:17:42.522 I'm going to work hard financially means I just want to make more money. 206 00:17:42.596 --> 00:17:45.554 But here's what I would push into, and we got to move through these next three. 207 00:17:45.672 --> 00:17:47.922 Work hard financially means this. 208 00:17:48.056 --> 00:17:53.060 Create financial discipline, save. 209 00:17:54.230 --> 00:17:56.050 Don't dive into debt. 210 00:17:56.950 --> 00:17:58.742 Instead, work hard. 211 00:17:58.876 --> 00:18:09.820 It's a whole lot easier to keep on going when they promise you a free t shirt if you apply for the credit card, than it takes the 10 seconds to fill out the thing for the credit card. 212 00:18:10.510 --> 00:18:20.714 It's really hard when you're at Lowe's and you really want a massive zero turn lawn mower for the quarter acre that you've got to mow. 213 00:18:20.762 --> 00:18:21.360 Right. 214 00:18:22.370 --> 00:18:23.790 And to keep going. 215 00:18:23.940 --> 00:18:24.542 Right? 216 00:18:24.676 --> 00:18:25.920 Work that body. 217 00:18:26.610 --> 00:18:27.774 You're 32, man. 218 00:18:27.812 --> 00:18:28.634 Push that mower. 219 00:18:28.682 --> 00:18:29.360 All right? 220 00:18:30.450 --> 00:18:36.894 Push it so that we can save, so that we can create financial discipline. 221 00:18:37.022 --> 00:18:38.206 And here's the beauty. 222 00:18:38.318 --> 00:18:39.410 Here's the beauty of it. 223 00:18:39.480 --> 00:18:42.322 And I love this when I see this in the lives of so many. 224 00:18:42.376 --> 00:18:44.734 Men and women in our church, they've. 225 00:18:44.782 --> 00:18:56.150 Created financial discipline not so that they can be scrooge that sits on their pile of money, but so that they can give sacrificially, extremely generous. 226 00:18:56.970 --> 00:18:59.094 There's a handful of individuals that are. 227 00:18:59.132 --> 00:19:00.706 Here at our church. 228 00:19:00.738 --> 00:19:05.626 I'd never say their names publicly because they don't want it to be said publicly because of what they're doing in. 229 00:19:05.648 --> 00:19:12.006 Private, but will come up to me repeatedly over and over and over again and say, hey, I know that there's a mission trip. 230 00:19:12.038 --> 00:19:13.366 I know that there's a youth trip. 231 00:19:13.398 --> 00:19:14.582 I know that there's kids camp. 232 00:19:14.656 --> 00:19:16.030 I know that there's things going on. 233 00:19:16.100 --> 00:19:19.040 Listen, if there's somebody who can't, I'll write that check. 234 00:19:19.810 --> 00:19:21.806 If there's somebody who needs it, I'll write it. 235 00:19:21.828 --> 00:19:23.186 You just let me know. 236 00:19:23.368 --> 00:19:27.074 And what they support over and over and over and over again. 237 00:19:27.272 --> 00:19:27.874 Right. 238 00:19:27.992 --> 00:19:30.082 Create financial discipline to live. 239 00:19:30.136 --> 00:19:31.810 Sacrificial generosity. 240 00:19:32.470 --> 00:19:33.218 Number four. 241 00:19:33.304 --> 00:19:35.010 Work hard relationally. 242 00:19:35.450 --> 00:19:37.190 Work hard relationally. 243 00:19:37.850 --> 00:19:38.600 Right. 244 00:19:38.970 --> 00:19:40.680 God's given us one another. 245 00:19:41.370 --> 00:19:43.718 God's given us each other as church family. 246 00:19:43.804 --> 00:19:46.390 God's given us as our individual families. 247 00:19:46.730 --> 00:19:47.346 Right. 248 00:19:47.468 --> 00:19:49.670 Work hard relationally. 249 00:19:49.830 --> 00:19:50.986 Here's what that means. 250 00:19:51.088 --> 00:20:05.790 Mom and dad, I know after a long, long day, you're exhausted, but do you know what you don't get the clock out on being is a mom or a dad. 251 00:20:06.770 --> 00:20:08.698 Work hard relationally. 252 00:20:08.874 --> 00:20:11.982 Well, you don't understand the age that they're at. 253 00:20:12.036 --> 00:20:13.566 They just push me away. 254 00:20:13.748 --> 00:20:15.102 They don't want to talk. 255 00:20:15.236 --> 00:20:18.994 They don't want to have a great conversation with me in here. 256 00:20:19.032 --> 00:20:20.274 Like, you've got to finesse that. 257 00:20:20.312 --> 00:20:21.106 You've got to work, that. 258 00:20:21.128 --> 00:20:23.490 You've got to massage that relationship a little bit better. 259 00:20:23.560 --> 00:20:24.910 But you know what it's becoming? 260 00:20:24.990 --> 00:20:28.214 That relationship is becoming harder and harder, which just means this. 261 00:20:28.252 --> 00:20:30.070 You've got to work harder and harder. 262 00:20:31.290 --> 00:20:33.000 And teenagers in the room. 263 00:20:33.610 --> 00:20:34.760 I get it. 264 00:20:35.210 --> 00:20:36.360 I get it. 265 00:20:36.810 --> 00:20:38.522 Believe it or not, like, I can. 266 00:20:38.576 --> 00:20:41.546 Still remember what it was like to. 267 00:20:41.568 --> 00:20:48.060 Not get to not hurt when I get out of the bed, I remember that. 268 00:20:48.590 --> 00:20:52.974 Also remember what it was like to get out of the shower, and 30. 269 00:20:53.012 --> 00:20:56.350 Seconds later, the hair on my head wasn't dry. 270 00:20:57.170 --> 00:21:01.226 It's like I just walked out, and instantly, this is all dry. 271 00:21:01.258 --> 00:21:02.190 Now, how did that happen? 272 00:21:02.260 --> 00:21:04.858 Because I got about eight of them that are hanging out right here. 273 00:21:05.044 --> 00:21:07.300 They're just gelled together, right. 274 00:21:07.750 --> 00:21:09.220 I know what it's like. 275 00:21:09.910 --> 00:21:11.540 I remember those days. 276 00:21:12.230 --> 00:21:20.950 I remember watching my parents press and press and press and me thinking, why won't they just leave me alone? 277 00:21:23.290 --> 00:21:27.720 If you think that about your parents, let me tell you this. 278 00:21:28.170 --> 00:21:35.930 You've probably got some really good parents, because what they're doing is they're pressing into the hard work, into the hard work, into the hard work that's there. 279 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:37.866 And I just want to plead with you, right? 280 00:21:37.888 --> 00:21:48.654 If you're a teenager right now and you're like, man, move your hands from like this to like this and watch the relationship that you can have with your parents and how God can work and move in your life with that. 281 00:21:48.852 --> 00:21:53.594 Work hard relationally in your home, outside of your home, and then with this, work. 282 00:21:53.652 --> 00:21:55.010 Work hard missionly. 283 00:21:55.510 --> 00:21:57.886 Work hard missionly. 284 00:21:57.998 --> 00:22:01.266 Impact the lives of those around you. 285 00:22:01.288 --> 00:22:04.510 For the gospel, work hard missionly. 286 00:22:04.670 --> 00:22:08.690 Every day is an opportunity to live for his name and for his kingdom. 287 00:22:08.770 --> 00:22:15.170 And every conversation we have is an opportunity to speak the love hope of Jesus Christ into those relationships. 288 00:22:15.250 --> 00:22:20.258 And so I want to encourage you to work hard missionally. 289 00:22:20.354 --> 00:22:21.546 All right, let's continue on. 290 00:22:21.568 --> 00:22:23.482 We got a lot of verses, a little bit of time. 291 00:22:23.616 --> 00:22:24.620 Verse 15. 292 00:22:25.310 --> 00:22:27.254 Now the Philistines had stopped. 293 00:22:27.302 --> 00:22:28.374 Remember, they were envious. 294 00:22:28.502 --> 00:22:28.890 Okay? 295 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:30.390 They were envious of Isaac. 296 00:22:30.470 --> 00:22:38.938 So now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham, his father. 297 00:22:39.034 --> 00:22:44.062 And Abimelech said to Isaac, go away from us, for you are much mightier than we. 298 00:22:44.116 --> 00:22:48.738 So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the valley of Gerar and settled there. 299 00:22:48.824 --> 00:22:57.838 And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. 300 00:22:57.934 --> 00:23:00.838 And he gave them the names that his father had given them. 301 00:23:00.924 --> 00:23:11.354 But when Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdmen, saying, the water is ours, right? 302 00:23:11.392 --> 00:23:13.306 So he called the name of the. 303 00:23:13.328 --> 00:23:15.850 Well Essec because they contended with him. 304 00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:16.762 Verse 21. 305 00:23:16.816 --> 00:23:19.978 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that, too. 306 00:23:20.064 --> 00:23:22.362 So he called its name Sitna. 307 00:23:22.426 --> 00:23:27.534 And they moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. 308 00:23:27.572 --> 00:23:33.102 So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, for now the Lord has made room. 309 00:23:33.156 --> 00:23:36.642 For us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. 310 00:23:36.696 --> 00:23:43.570 So, number two, not only do we need to be a family of hard work, but we need to be a family of persevering faith. 311 00:23:44.310 --> 00:23:47.846 And I left hardworking faith out in. 312 00:23:47.868 --> 00:23:49.800 The first because I think they connect. 313 00:23:50.170 --> 00:23:53.830 But I wanted to use this word, persevering faith. 314 00:23:54.330 --> 00:23:57.030 Be a family of persevering faith. 315 00:23:57.370 --> 00:23:58.502 Isaac is working. 316 00:23:58.556 --> 00:24:00.006 And God is blessing. 317 00:24:00.198 --> 00:24:06.906 If you've ever been in that spot of life, you know that is the sweet spot of life. 318 00:24:07.008 --> 00:24:09.146 You're doing what God has for you. 319 00:24:09.248 --> 00:24:10.366 God's blessing it. 320 00:24:10.388 --> 00:24:11.246 God's blessing, it. 321 00:24:11.268 --> 00:24:12.350 God's blessing, it. 322 00:24:12.420 --> 00:24:16.000 But then conflict comes. 323 00:24:16.450 --> 00:24:17.726 It's probably come in your life. 324 00:24:17.748 --> 00:24:20.110 It comes in the life of Isaac. 325 00:24:20.530 --> 00:24:23.966 Isaac is there where God has told him to be and doing what God. 326 00:24:23.988 --> 00:24:29.090 Has told him to do, but still faces conflict and strife. 327 00:24:29.430 --> 00:24:31.954 Please remember this, always remember this, that. 328 00:24:31.992 --> 00:24:35.220 Being a child of God doesn't remove you from the struggles of this world. 329 00:24:35.690 --> 00:24:38.006 We think that we want that. 330 00:24:38.028 --> 00:24:41.560 We hope that bad preachers preach that. 331 00:24:45.040 --> 00:24:46.220 Obedience. 332 00:24:47.360 --> 00:24:52.976 And being a child of God does not remove you from the struggles of this world. 333 00:24:53.158 --> 00:24:57.250 In fact, God's word tells us to expect them. 334 00:24:57.860 --> 00:24:59.250 To expect them. 335 00:24:59.940 --> 00:25:03.360 You're going to face persecution, you're going to face trials, you're going to face. 336 00:25:03.430 --> 00:25:05.524 Hardships, you're going to experience these things. 337 00:25:05.642 --> 00:25:13.588 And it's within that that we understand that our theology directs us to that, our theology of life, because we've been there, we've done that, we've experienced this. 338 00:25:13.674 --> 00:25:20.440 So the question becomes in this, if you're a child of God and hard times come, what do you do? 339 00:25:20.590 --> 00:25:21.672 What do you do? 340 00:25:21.806 --> 00:25:23.610 Where do you move from there? 341 00:25:23.980 --> 00:25:28.216 While Isaac moves, what he does is he stays in obedience where God has placed him. 342 00:25:28.238 --> 00:25:29.384 He doesn't move close to the river. 343 00:25:29.432 --> 00:25:30.552 He doesn't head to Egypt. 344 00:25:30.616 --> 00:25:35.532 Instead, he moves around in this area known as stay. 345 00:25:35.586 --> 00:25:40.152 While he is staying in Gerar, he is doing what is required to live in the land. 346 00:25:40.226 --> 00:25:46.032 He's having to dig wells in order to survive, and digging Wells is hard. 347 00:25:46.086 --> 00:25:47.552 Now, remember, who does he have? 348 00:25:47.606 --> 00:25:48.656 He's got his family. 349 00:25:48.758 --> 00:25:49.916 He's got servants. 350 00:25:50.028 --> 00:25:52.540 He's got herds, he's got flocks. 351 00:25:52.620 --> 00:26:02.240 There's a lot of people that have got to provide water for and in order to provide water in the region where he is, it's desert land that has sand and rock. 352 00:26:02.320 --> 00:26:03.364 That's it. 353 00:26:03.562 --> 00:26:05.050 And he's got to dig. 354 00:26:06.380 --> 00:26:11.400 This past summer, my father in law had an idea that he was going to dig a well in his backyard. 355 00:26:12.540 --> 00:26:14.010 So he called me. 356 00:26:14.620 --> 00:26:18.088 He said, hey, I bought a well digging kit. 357 00:26:18.264 --> 00:26:20.910 I'm like, all right, you got me interested, right? 358 00:26:21.600 --> 00:26:25.740 He's like, I've got the equipment, rented. 359 00:26:26.080 --> 00:26:33.170 This compressor bigger than a boat, and we're going to be able to dig a well. 360 00:26:33.780 --> 00:26:35.410 You want to come help me? 361 00:26:36.180 --> 00:26:36.930 Yes. 362 00:26:39.140 --> 00:26:42.150 That was a lot of fun for about five minutes. 363 00:26:43.080 --> 00:26:43.990 All right. 364 00:26:44.920 --> 00:26:46.740 We thought he had sand. 365 00:26:47.240 --> 00:26:50.980 He did have sand for about six inches. 366 00:26:51.880 --> 00:26:55.128 Finney had red clay and rock, right? 367 00:26:55.294 --> 00:27:05.608 And for hours, I stood over this hole about this big in the ground, holding this contraption that he had ordered to digging this well. 368 00:27:05.694 --> 00:27:13.932 That water and air are shooting down, and it's got this big blade on it that's turning, and it's sucking the sand out, and it's shooting it out the back. 369 00:27:13.986 --> 00:27:16.264 And we've now got a mountain in the back of his yard. 370 00:27:16.312 --> 00:27:19.564 And we're digging and we're digging and we're digging, and we're like, oh, we got some water. 371 00:27:19.602 --> 00:27:24.320 We see water come up, and so we pull this out, and then all of a sudden, what we hear is Kushum. 372 00:27:25.540 --> 00:27:29.980 And now we've got water underneath, more red clay and more rocks. 373 00:27:30.140 --> 00:27:32.976 And so we dug and we dug and we dug and we dug and we dug. 374 00:27:33.168 --> 00:27:34.470 Got there about nine. 375 00:27:35.240 --> 00:27:41.830 At about six, I said, hey, Aaron really needs me to come home. 376 00:27:43.800 --> 00:27:45.364 Kids are out of control again. 377 00:27:45.402 --> 00:27:46.696 I don't know what's going on. 378 00:27:46.798 --> 00:27:48.312 I got to go, right? 379 00:27:48.446 --> 00:27:50.196 He's like, well, what's next weekend? 380 00:27:50.228 --> 00:27:53.400 Look, man, I would come. 381 00:27:53.470 --> 00:27:55.240 I'm supposed to pray and fast all day. 382 00:27:55.310 --> 00:27:59.756 I signed up and committed for that, so I'm not going to be able to make that either. 383 00:27:59.858 --> 00:28:01.068 And he kept on. 384 00:28:01.154 --> 00:28:03.790 The point is, man, with equipment, this is hard. 385 00:28:04.640 --> 00:28:06.590 With machinery, this is hard. 386 00:28:07.600 --> 00:28:10.370 But Isaac has to continue on with this. 387 00:28:10.980 --> 00:28:22.390 And in order to be obedient to God, what he had to do was persevere through the difficulties that he faced, right? 388 00:28:22.760 --> 00:28:33.860 Not run from the difficulties, not avoid the difficulties, but instead to build within himself the attitude and the mindset of perseverance. 389 00:28:34.620 --> 00:28:39.130 The apostle Paul writes in two Timothy, chapter four, verse seven. 390 00:28:40.220 --> 00:28:44.760 He writes to Timothy, who he considers his son in faith. 391 00:28:45.500 --> 00:28:51.550 Paul, who knows that his death and execution is coming soon. 392 00:28:52.480 --> 00:28:53.710 Look at his words. 393 00:28:54.640 --> 00:28:56.350 I fought the good fight. 394 00:28:57.280 --> 00:28:59.100 I have finished the race. 395 00:28:59.860 --> 00:29:01.360 I've kept the faith. 396 00:29:02.260 --> 00:29:03.440 Kept the faith. 397 00:29:04.740 --> 00:29:15.460 The word fight that he uses there is the word that would be used for a hand to hand battle, point of death. 398 00:29:16.440 --> 00:29:21.830 Paul's imagery that he gives right here, it's not a fight of words. 399 00:29:22.600 --> 00:29:24.500 It's not a fight of pushing. 400 00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:33.130 It's not a passive aggressive, but it's a fight that in the end, what you feel like is your body is done. 401 00:29:34.060 --> 00:29:49.970 Paul says, in order to be obedient to what God has for you and the beatings that he took in the miles that he put on his feet, and the jail sentences that awaited him, Paul says, I didn't avoid them. 402 00:29:50.580 --> 00:29:52.304 I persevered through them. 403 00:29:52.422 --> 00:29:53.730 I fought the fight. 404 00:29:54.100 --> 00:29:57.810 He says, I finished the race, right. 405 00:30:00.580 --> 00:30:06.070 Guy asked me the other day, he said, would you like to go for a run with me? 406 00:30:06.920 --> 00:30:08.950 He's a couple of years older than I am. 407 00:30:10.040 --> 00:30:13.140 He's in really, really good shape. 408 00:30:13.820 --> 00:30:15.530 He's like, it'd be pretty easy. 409 00:30:15.900 --> 00:30:22.520 He's like, we can maybe do, like, get started, like 8 miles. 410 00:30:25.340 --> 00:30:25.944 At like. 411 00:30:25.982 --> 00:30:27.340 Ten minutes a mile. 412 00:30:28.640 --> 00:30:30.844 I'm like, man, I think I'm more. 413 00:30:30.882 --> 00:30:37.470 Right now like a walk at the mall than I am. 414 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:38.670 Know. 415 00:30:40.660 --> 00:30:43.520 Some of us are trying to live our faith like the walk at the mall. 416 00:30:44.500 --> 00:30:46.400 Paul says, I finished the race. 417 00:30:47.300 --> 00:30:50.400 This imagery is not there of a sprint. 418 00:30:50.900 --> 00:30:53.300 The imagery is not there of a stroll. 419 00:30:53.720 --> 00:30:57.780 The imagery that is used is what we would think of and we would consider with a marathon. 420 00:30:58.600 --> 00:30:59.780 It's grueling. 421 00:31:00.520 --> 00:31:01.590 It's hard. 422 00:31:02.200 --> 00:31:03.350 It's difficult. 423 00:31:04.140 --> 00:31:10.584 I know a few people who have run a marathon, a few, not many. 424 00:31:10.702 --> 00:31:19.100 Some of you in here have run a marathon, and I've asked you, how was the marathon? 425 00:31:19.920 --> 00:31:20.572 You know what? 426 00:31:20.626 --> 00:31:22.830 No one has ever said to me. 427 00:31:23.920 --> 00:31:25.950 That was really fun. 428 00:31:26.960 --> 00:31:28.444 It was easy, man. 429 00:31:28.482 --> 00:31:29.368 We were just out there. 430 00:31:29.394 --> 00:31:30.112 We were just talking. 431 00:31:30.166 --> 00:31:33.468 We were laughing, like, having a good time, taking selfies. 432 00:31:33.564 --> 00:31:36.028 No, it was grueling. 433 00:31:36.204 --> 00:31:38.044 I lost a toenail. 434 00:31:38.172 --> 00:31:41.924 I was dehydrated by the end of it the next day. 435 00:31:41.962 --> 00:31:48.630 It's like me laying in a bed with a drip of water and Gatorade all day long. 436 00:31:49.080 --> 00:31:52.950 Hard, difficult, but worth it. 437 00:31:53.740 --> 00:31:55.050 But worth it. 438 00:31:55.740 --> 00:32:00.890 Like, let's don't fool ourselves in this christian walk. 439 00:32:01.340 --> 00:32:02.936 It is hard. 440 00:32:03.118 --> 00:32:10.030 It is grueling, but it is so, so worth it. 441 00:32:10.960 --> 00:32:14.540 Matthew four, nine through 13. 442 00:32:15.920 --> 00:32:22.050 Difficult passage of scripture that Jesus gives us says this. 443 00:32:23.060 --> 00:32:33.220 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 444 00:32:33.800 --> 00:32:39.510 That's probably not the verse that most churches are using for their catchy church phrase, right? 445 00:32:40.760 --> 00:32:42.596 And then many will fall away and. 446 00:32:42.618 --> 00:32:44.630 Betray one another and hate one another. 447 00:32:45.240 --> 00:32:49.476 And many false prophets, prophets will arise and lead many astray. 448 00:32:49.668 --> 00:32:55.080 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 449 00:32:55.740 --> 00:32:56.940 This verse 13. 450 00:32:57.600 --> 00:33:00.780 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 451 00:33:02.560 --> 00:33:08.168 The one who perseveres when things get tough will be saved. 452 00:33:08.344 --> 00:33:14.140 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations. 453 00:33:14.300 --> 00:33:17.970 And then the end will come. 454 00:33:19.060 --> 00:33:34.820 If your walk with the Lord looks like this, as long as I'm living in the goosebumps of Jesus and in the overabundance of blessings upon blessings. 455 00:33:34.900 --> 00:33:43.770 How you've defined blessings of Jesus, then I'm great to walk with Jesus, and I'm great to fall on my knees before him. 456 00:33:44.940 --> 00:34:00.530 But the moment that strife and contention and persecution and trials which in our world that we know of here is minimal, and if your response in that moment is to shake your fist at God and wonder why you. 457 00:34:02.980 --> 00:34:20.050 If you are saved, if you are saved, scripture would say that your faith is immature, and I would ask you to truly examine the heart you have for Christ. 458 00:34:20.660 --> 00:34:30.230 And are you only in this to use him as a giver of gifts, that the gifts are the beneficial ones that you say are good for you? 459 00:34:31.320 --> 00:34:32.596 Expect it. 460 00:34:32.778 --> 00:34:33.796 Expect it. 461 00:34:33.898 --> 00:34:36.496 This life is not a cool, simple walk around the block. 462 00:34:36.528 --> 00:34:37.268 It's a fight. 463 00:34:37.354 --> 00:34:38.320 It's a marathon. 464 00:34:38.400 --> 00:34:39.444 There will be struggles. 465 00:34:39.492 --> 00:34:40.356 There will be pains. 466 00:34:40.388 --> 00:34:41.460 There will be trials. 467 00:34:41.540 --> 00:34:42.836 There will be temptations. 468 00:34:42.948 --> 00:34:48.490 But our call is not to run from around, but instead run through with Christ. 469 00:34:49.340 --> 00:34:51.390 One John five, four through five. 470 00:34:52.080 --> 00:35:01.100 But everyone who has been born of God overcomes this world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. 471 00:35:01.760 --> 00:35:12.050 Who is that that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God? 472 00:35:12.660 --> 00:35:20.480 Isaac was willing and determined to be obedient, but to be obedient meant he had to dig wells. 473 00:35:21.080 --> 00:35:22.676 Those wells weren't fun. 474 00:35:22.858 --> 00:35:24.644 Those wells were hard. 475 00:35:24.842 --> 00:35:26.196 But he dug them. 476 00:35:26.298 --> 00:35:28.790 And he dug them, and he dug them. 477 00:35:29.160 --> 00:35:29.968 Let's keep reading. 478 00:35:29.984 --> 00:35:32.890 Genesis 26, verse 23. 479 00:35:33.420 --> 00:35:39.972 And there he went up to Bersheba, and the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, I am the God of Abraham, your father. 480 00:35:40.116 --> 00:35:46.648 Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake. 481 00:35:46.744 --> 00:35:52.960 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there and there. 482 00:35:53.030 --> 00:35:56.144 Isaac's servants dug a well. 483 00:35:56.342 --> 00:36:00.880 Number three, be a family of legacy of worship. 484 00:36:01.940 --> 00:36:04.720 Be a family of legacy of worship. 485 00:36:06.440 --> 00:36:07.990 Let me add to that. 486 00:36:09.080 --> 00:36:18.490 Be a family of legacy of worship of Christ, your family, every family in this room. 487 00:36:19.100 --> 00:36:24.376 And you right now, you worship something. 488 00:36:24.478 --> 00:36:30.040 Well, the question is, is it Jesus? 489 00:36:31.440 --> 00:36:32.780 Is it Jesus? 490 00:36:33.440 --> 00:36:34.748 You worship something. 491 00:36:34.834 --> 00:36:37.656 Well, everyone worships. 492 00:36:37.768 --> 00:36:40.430 That's one thing we don't have to learn to do. 493 00:36:40.960 --> 00:36:43.100 We don't have to learn to worship. 494 00:36:43.700 --> 00:36:45.548 We know how to worship. 495 00:36:45.724 --> 00:36:50.400 The question is, are we worshiping the idol or are we worshiping the creator? 496 00:36:51.380 --> 00:36:53.360 We worshiping the creator. 497 00:36:54.100 --> 00:37:01.680 God appears to Isaac, reminds Isaac of God's plan, reminds Isaac of his faithfulness. 498 00:37:01.760 --> 00:37:03.540 God's faithfulness. 499 00:37:03.880 --> 00:37:04.292 Right. 500 00:37:04.346 --> 00:37:06.100 Seems to be the first time that this has happened. 501 00:37:06.170 --> 00:37:08.324 It's the first time that's recorded in scripture. 502 00:37:08.452 --> 00:37:10.024 What did Isaac do? 503 00:37:10.222 --> 00:37:12.024 He did what his dad did. 504 00:37:12.222 --> 00:37:13.460 He built an altar. 505 00:37:13.540 --> 00:37:14.404 He worshipped. 506 00:37:14.452 --> 00:37:17.012 He stayed in scripture. 507 00:37:17.076 --> 00:37:21.884 The word remember is used 234 times. 508 00:37:22.082 --> 00:37:27.672 Most of the time it's used in the context that God does not forget what he promised. 509 00:37:27.816 --> 00:37:29.390 And we love that. 510 00:37:29.840 --> 00:37:34.928 We love that God, Dave said this, God knows, remembers you. 511 00:37:35.014 --> 00:37:36.976 He knows, he remembers me. 512 00:37:37.078 --> 00:37:39.570 That is so good that he knows me. 513 00:37:40.020 --> 00:37:49.840 But the other places is used in the context of personal and corporate worship to remember where God has been faithful. 514 00:37:49.920 --> 00:37:55.972 And so what we have here in this moment is Isaac saying, no, no, we're going to build an altar here. 515 00:37:56.026 --> 00:37:57.536 And here's what we're going to remember. 516 00:37:57.658 --> 00:38:00.570 We're going to remember the faithfulness of God. 517 00:38:01.980 --> 00:38:08.408 We're going to plant the worship of the living God and who he is and what he is doing. 518 00:38:08.574 --> 00:38:35.572 The greatest legacy you can leave behind is not a legacy of wealth, is not a legacy of education, is not a legacy of anything that we can define, but a legacy of who God is, of what God has done, and a legacy that celebrates that God is faithful to his promises, and that God. 519 00:38:35.626 --> 00:38:39.510 Will not forget the legacy of that. 520 00:38:40.440 --> 00:38:42.070 The legacy of that. 521 00:38:53.010 --> 00:39:12.690 When worship of Christ is not primary, when worship of Christ is not essential in your home, when it becomes secondary. 522 00:39:13.670 --> 00:39:16.500 I'm talking about worship in the moment. 523 00:39:17.530 --> 00:39:19.800 And I'm talking about worship on the day. 524 00:39:21.930 --> 00:39:33.100 Do not be surprised when the legacy that you've left behind is that worship is not essential, that it's not important. 525 00:39:33.870 --> 00:39:49.470 When we've taught the generation behind us to fill the calendar of our day and to fill our calendar of the Lord's day with everything else other than the worship of the Lord. 526 00:39:51.090 --> 00:40:00.450 And then when it's their time to set their own calendar and it doesn't even make the notes on the bottom, don't be surprised. 527 00:40:01.510 --> 00:40:02.900 But I don't understand. 528 00:40:03.590 --> 00:40:11.640 But this is where we find build a legacy of worship of Christ. 529 00:40:12.890 --> 00:40:22.426 What Isaac does here in verse 25, it says that he will remember and others will know that this is what God has done. 530 00:40:22.608 --> 00:40:39.646 Verse 26, when Abimelek went to him from Gerar with Asuth, his advisor in Ficol, the commander of his army, Isaac said to them, why have you done this to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you? 531 00:40:39.748 --> 00:40:43.934 And they said, we see plainly that the Lord has been with you. 532 00:40:44.132 --> 00:40:53.374 So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you that you will do us no harm. 533 00:40:53.422 --> 00:41:03.186 Just as we have not touched you and have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace, you are now the blessed of the Lord. 534 00:41:03.298 --> 00:41:07.270 So he made them a feast, and they ate and they drank. 535 00:41:07.610 --> 00:41:15.446 And in the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths, and Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace. 536 00:41:15.558 --> 00:41:22.862 That same day, Isaac's servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, we have found water. 537 00:41:22.996 --> 00:41:24.618 And he called it Sheba. 538 00:41:24.714 --> 00:41:28.974 Therefore, the name of the city is Beersheba to this day. 539 00:41:29.092 --> 00:41:29.710 Number four. 540 00:41:29.780 --> 00:41:31.946 Be a family of visible faith. 541 00:41:32.138 --> 00:41:34.462 Be a family of visible faith. 542 00:41:34.606 --> 00:41:36.450 Abimelech led a kingdom. 543 00:41:37.030 --> 00:41:42.910 He had an army, he had money, he had power, and he had influence. 544 00:41:43.070 --> 00:41:45.730 But yet he sought a treaty with Isaac. 545 00:41:46.250 --> 00:41:47.000 Why? 546 00:41:47.930 --> 00:41:50.434 Not because of Isaac's military response. 547 00:41:50.482 --> 00:41:51.510 There was none. 548 00:41:52.410 --> 00:41:56.706 Not because of Isaac's boycott of Abimelech's goods, there were none. 549 00:41:56.818 --> 00:42:01.190 Not because of Isaac's appeal through financial resources, there was no appeal. 550 00:42:01.270 --> 00:42:04.102 Not because of Isaac's shrewd negotiation skills. 551 00:42:04.166 --> 00:42:04.982 There was none. 552 00:42:05.046 --> 00:42:11.050 Abimelech decided to come to Isaac because it was evident that God was with Isaac. 553 00:42:11.550 --> 00:42:17.950 And so Abimelech said, this is what I see in you and who you are. 554 00:42:18.020 --> 00:42:19.022 So I come to you. 555 00:42:19.076 --> 00:42:21.550 Here's four questions we could continue on. 556 00:42:21.620 --> 00:42:25.730 Number one, do people know your favorite sports team but not know what God you serve? 557 00:42:27.110 --> 00:42:30.850 Do people know your political alignment but not what God you serve? 558 00:42:31.670 --> 00:42:35.890 Do people know everything about your favorite hobby, but not what God you serve? 559 00:42:36.390 --> 00:42:40.690 Do people know your financial status but not what God you serve? 560 00:42:41.910 --> 00:42:48.038 In all of this, what Abimelech says that he looks at, that he sees is he sees that Isaac is a man of God. 561 00:42:48.124 --> 00:42:49.750 Matthew 516. 562 00:42:50.570 --> 00:43:00.090 Jesus says, in the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven? 563 00:43:01.010 --> 00:43:03.246 The biggest is that we could live. 564 00:43:03.348 --> 00:43:23.570 A visible faith that our kids, our coworkers, our friends, our neighbors, our family, everyone around us, they know a lot about us, but they know, most importantly, the God that we serve, the God that we serve. 565 00:43:25.270 --> 00:43:26.660 So it seems like. 566 00:43:28.970 --> 00:43:34.854 Doing it right, man, Isaac's working hard, man. 567 00:43:34.892 --> 00:43:40.220 His kids probably going to turn out to do everything the way that they're supposed to. 568 00:43:42.670 --> 00:43:43.980 Verse 34. 569 00:43:46.030 --> 00:44:01.870 When Esau was 40 years old, he took Judith, the daughter of Bariah the Hittite, to be his wife, Anne, Anne Bastema, the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 570 00:44:03.090 --> 00:44:07.250 And they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebecca. 571 00:44:08.870 --> 00:44:10.542 Be a family who grieves sin. 572 00:44:10.606 --> 00:44:14.770 In closing, Esau took two wives. 573 00:44:16.330 --> 00:44:20.520 What we see right here, he's going to take more. 574 00:44:22.090 --> 00:44:25.510 Polygamy is seen a lot in the Old Testament. 575 00:44:27.930 --> 00:44:29.610 It's always a sin. 576 00:44:30.510 --> 00:44:31.990 It's always a sin. 577 00:44:32.150 --> 00:44:33.850 It's never not a sin. 578 00:44:35.150 --> 00:44:36.266 I don't care who does it. 579 00:44:36.288 --> 00:44:42.010 In the old Testament, polygamy is always a sin, even though it is commonly practiced. 580 00:44:42.750 --> 00:44:44.000 What does he do? 581 00:44:45.010 --> 00:44:47.710 He lives in a lifestyle of sin. 582 00:44:48.610 --> 00:44:53.280 Not only did he take two wives, he took two wives from canaanite people, which were prohibited by God to do. 583 00:44:54.870 --> 00:44:57.380 He breaks from what is there. 584 00:44:58.390 --> 00:45:06.530 Scripture tells us that this made life bitter for Isaac and Rebecca. 585 00:45:07.290 --> 00:45:12.210 The exact word is, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebecca. 586 00:45:12.290 --> 00:45:14.520 Here's what that made life bitter means. 587 00:45:15.450 --> 00:45:16.710 They grieved. 588 00:45:18.090 --> 00:45:21.900 They grieved because of the decisions their son was making. 589 00:45:23.630 --> 00:45:25.930 Be a family who grieves sin. 590 00:45:26.590 --> 00:45:28.220 Here's what they didn't do. 591 00:45:29.150 --> 00:45:30.986 They didn't ignore, they didn't overlook, they. 592 00:45:31.008 --> 00:45:35.150 Didn'T enable, they didn't excuse, they grieved. 593 00:45:36.690 --> 00:45:47.810 As you raise and build the culture in your family, you will point your family and you will point yourself in a direction of following the Lord. 594 00:45:48.310 --> 00:45:49.940 And here's what will happen. 595 00:45:50.310 --> 00:45:54.180 We'll break, we'll move, we'll chase other things. 596 00:45:55.030 --> 00:46:04.898 And our response is so important, when sin comes in, whether it's your sin, whether it's your spouse's sin, whether it's your kids sin. 597 00:46:05.074 --> 00:46:06.882 Sin will come into a church staff. 598 00:46:07.026 --> 00:46:08.434 Some will come into a church. 599 00:46:08.562 --> 00:46:11.074 Sin will come into your work, some become into your neighbors. 600 00:46:11.122 --> 00:46:12.214 Sin will come into relationship. 601 00:46:12.332 --> 00:46:13.626 And the important thing that we look. 602 00:46:13.648 --> 00:46:15.402 At is what do we do with it? 603 00:46:15.536 --> 00:46:17.226 What do we do with it? 604 00:46:17.408 --> 00:46:22.080 When sin is there and we're building a culture that glorifies God, what do we do? 605 00:46:22.530 --> 00:46:23.680 What do we do? 606 00:46:24.290 --> 00:46:38.660 What I found in my life and in the life of so many that keeps me and keeps so many in a pattern of sin is we ignore it. 607 00:46:40.790 --> 00:46:42.306 We don't act like we don't see it. 608 00:46:42.328 --> 00:46:46.710 Even though we do, we overlook it. 609 00:46:46.860 --> 00:46:50.200 We try to breeze by and just turn our back. 610 00:46:51.050 --> 00:46:59.080 We excuse know, that's the temptation that I face every day. 611 00:46:59.690 --> 00:47:01.340 Satan just got me. 612 00:47:02.190 --> 00:47:08.410 And in doing that in our life and in the life of so many others in our life, we enable it. 613 00:47:08.560 --> 00:47:09.898 We enable it. 614 00:47:10.064 --> 00:47:12.110 The Bible calls us to grieve sin. 615 00:47:12.450 --> 00:47:38.840 To grieve sin, sin, the reason why Christ came and died on the cross, to make the payment, to pay in full so that we can be brought in the relationship with God so our sin is paid for at a great cost, the cost of our savior, the son of God, of his life. 616 00:47:39.610 --> 00:47:51.980 And when we do anything else other than grieve the sin in our own self and grieve the sin that we see in others, we mock the sacrifice of Christ. 617 00:47:53.470 --> 00:47:59.802 As you look at building all that there is, man, there's so many positives of what we can do. 618 00:47:59.856 --> 00:48:14.578 We can see what we know, draw from, from scripture, but never miss the point last week and this week to be a people of confession and repentance before the Lord, grieving over the sin and pursuing all that God has for us. 619 00:48:14.744 --> 00:48:16.100 Would you pray with me. 620 00:48:18.950 --> 00:48:19.314 God? 621 00:48:19.352 --> 00:48:24.420 I come to you this morning, Lord, thanking you for your word. 622 00:48:25.510 --> 00:48:37.560 Going to be seeing a passage of scripture that on the surface is just about a man and his work and issues that he faces and things that hinder him. 623 00:48:38.490 --> 00:49:05.170 But what we find, Lord, so much of what you have for us is who you're calling us to be so that we can live a life of testimony to others, not shining our light, but shining the light of Christ, so that others would come to know you and respond to you and give glory to our Father who is in heaven. 624 00:49:08.070 --> 00:49:11.810 God, I pray this morning, well done. 625 00:49:11.880 --> 00:49:17.378 The leading and the guiding and the work of your holy Spirit, Lord. 626 00:49:17.394 --> 00:49:26.600 You would take that area of our heart that we're ignoring, the area of our heart that's becoming hard. 627 00:49:27.930 --> 00:49:29.846 The power of your holy spirit, Lord. 628 00:49:29.878 --> 00:49:31.420 You would soften us. 629 00:49:32.750 --> 00:49:38.406 We would understand, Lord, that your grace is enough and it is sufficient, Lord. 630 00:49:38.438 --> 00:49:39.980 And that we would come to you. 631 00:49:40.830 --> 00:49:42.990 In brokenness and repentance. 632 00:49:43.890 --> 00:50:02.770 Lord, I pray that we would be people of persevering faith, living boldly for your name, not just when everything's going well, but, Lord, when things are difficult, understanding that you've called us, you've called us to sacrifice. 633 00:50:03.750 --> 00:50:15.240 So that our testimony is not just in the good, that you are good, but is that in the good and the bad and the easy and the difficult and the climb up and the climb down. 634 00:50:16.090 --> 00:50:20.630 Lord, you are great and you were kind and you were compassionate and you were loving. 635 00:50:23.130 --> 00:50:26.266 And that through it all, through it. 636 00:50:26.288 --> 00:50:31.290 All, Christ and Christ alone is sufficient. 637 00:50:32.350 --> 00:50:46.210 God, I pray if there's anyone here who doesn't know you, or today would be a day of not trying to figure out what faith looks like, where they can persevere. 638 00:50:46.870 --> 00:50:51.730 But, Lord, simply saving faith is that they admit that they're a sinner. 639 00:50:52.550 --> 00:51:11.580 They believe that Christ came and died on the cross for their sins, making a way to be forgiven, but also making a way that they may have life, life eternal, both here on this earth and for all of eternity, that they would be adopted and brought into the family of God. 640 00:51:12.750 --> 00:51:24.734 And that God, what you ask of them is not a long list of works, but it's to confess Christ as Lord and savior of their life and. 641 00:51:24.772 --> 00:51:28.670 That today will be the day of their salvation. 642 00:51:29.650 --> 00:51:31.274 It's in Jesus name we pray. 643 00:51:31.402 --> 00:51:32.270 Amen. 644 00:51:36.210 --> 00:51:40.666 Thanks again for listening, and be sure to check back next week for another episode. 645 00:51:40.778 --> 00:51:48.450 In the meantime, you can visit us@willowridgechurch.org or by searching for Willow Ridge Church on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.